Transformers Prime: Legacy
by KyoLovur911
Summary: The long-awaited sequel to Transformers Prime: Secrets. Marisa and her sons are back, and more dramatic then ever! When she makes a mistake that is irreversible, bot begins to turn on bot, family begins to turn on family. Adding a tragedy to the list does not help things at all. What will happen? Will the family break apart for good?
1. Part One: Marisa's POV

**Dear reader, it is best that you read Transformers Prime: Secrets before you begin reading this story. Continue with caution. **

Part One: Marisa's POV

All around me were tons and tons of family members and friends of the fellow high school students that were down below on the field. Yes, it was graduation day. The most anticipated day for any high school student. The day they would officially become adults. The day where they would begin their lives.

In the third section of the line of students, seated in the sixth seat from the right, was Jack. He had spent months talking about this day, and it had finally come. As he turned his head to look at me, a bright smile washed across his face. I couldn't help but smile back. I waved to him from where I was seated up in the bleachers.

"Man, I can't believe time has gone by so fast," came a low voice from beside me. I reached my hand out and patted Raf on the back.

"You all have changed so much," I said.

It was true. Raf had just gotten out of the seventh grade, and would now be going into the eighth grade. He was way taller than he was before, almost taller than me! He had been coming to me occasionally, and we would actually sit down and talk about his future. We have grown very close in the few years we have known each other.

"Do ya really think that?" I turned my head the opposite direction to see Miko staring at me intently.

Miko had barley grown an inch, but she sure had matured. Although she still fooled around on occasion, she wasn't as crazy as she was before. She still loves hanging with Bulkhead and Wasp and rocking out on her guitar. Once summer vacation ended, she would be a senior in high school.

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yes. You all have grown and matured in your own ways." I turned to look at Raf. "You have grown in size and intelligence." I turned back to look at Miko. "And you have grown in spirit."

Raf wrapped his arms around me, hugging me gently. "Thanks, Marisa," he said.

Miko joined the hug, tightening her grip so that she was practically squeezing the life out of us. I choked a little and withdrew from the both of them. I gently punched Miko's shoulder, and then I pulled Raf's head in towards me and planted a kiss on his cheek.

I turned my head as I heard Jack's name being called through the microphone. I let out a joyous scream, cheering and holding my hands high in the air. Both Miko and Raf did the same. As Jack walked up to receive his diploma, he stole a glance back up at us. His cheeks were red and he was sporting a nervous smile. I couldn't help but smile back, a laugh escaping its internal prison.

I looked to the side of me and noticed Jack's mother, June, cheering as well. Next to her was Agent Fowler, whom I had met about a year earlier. He was cheering loudly as well, screaming, "You go Jack!" We all watched as he shook hands with his principal, and strode back over to his seat.

After about an hour or so, we all made our way down to the field, where we met up with Jack. His cheeks were still beet red. He stared at me and scratched the back of his head.

"Marisa, did you have to scream that loud?" he asked, chuckling a little.

"I was not the only one screaming for you," I put in, looking back at the others.

"She's right, Jack," June said as she approached my side. "We all were cheering for you." She approached her son and gave him a brief hug. "Congratulations, Jack. I'm so proud of you."

Agent Fowler approached him as well. "Yeah, congratulations."

Raf came up behind me and rested his chin on my shoulder. He was staring at Jack. "We all are happy for you."

Miko ran up to him and punched his shoulder. "Way to go, dude! Just think, I'll be the one up there next!"

Jack nodded. "Yeah." I smiled at them all and stepped forward, causing Raf to step back in reflex.

"Well, I should be getting back to base…" I murmured quietly.

"Already?" Jack asked, his face showing a bit of disappointment.

"What the heck, don't leave now!" Miko complained, throwing her arms around me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I must," I said. "I need to check up on Stealthwave." I pulled out of Miko's grip and took a step back. "You guys enjoy the rest of the night. Come visit whenever you can."

"Which might be sooner than you think," Agent Fowler brought up as he approached my side. "I need to have a chat with Prime about that bot with the tail."

Immediately, I knew he was talking about Rocker, but I kept silent and nodded my head. "Sounds good," I mumbled. As I said my final goodbyes, I walked away from the group and entered the nearby forest.

I cautiously looked from side to side, making sure there were no other living souls in the area. Realizing the coast was clear, I transformed back into my Autobot self. I clicked on my headset and cleared my throat tubes. "I am ready for a bridge back to base," I said, making my words crystal clear. In a matter of seconds, the glow of the groundbridge portal lit up exactly 5 feet in front of me. I quickly stepped through it, knowing what would be on the other side.

As I entered the base, both Tayo and Kayo lunged at me.

"YOU'RE BACK!" they both shouted in unison. As they collided with me, I fell onto my back, letting out a laugh.

"And I would appreciate it if you would let me up," I giggled. The two Ultimodes removed themselves from my body and moved a little ways away, sitting down on their hindquarters. I stood back on my stabilizing servos and took a quick glance around the base. The other bots were approaching me, staring at me as if I were a newcomer. Without warning, Stealthwave ran up to me and clung onto my arm, claws scraping my exterior. I winced slightly, but did not move too much. I did not want to frighten my son.

I looked up as Ratchet approached me. "Was I gone too long?" I asked him, my optics glinting with signs of worry.

The medic shook his helm. "Not at all." He glanced at Stealthwave. "He just has separation anxiety. Whenever you leave, he always waits next to the groundbridge."

I curiously looked at my son, whom was still attached to my arm, like another limb. "I am sorry, Stealthwave," I apologized, my voice full of sorrow.

The young mech looked up at me, his purple-tinged optics full of lubricant. His grip tightened on my arm, his claws scraping even deeper into my exterior. I shut my optics tight, pain searing throughout my body.

Noticing this, Metallica approached and set his servo on Stealthwave's shoulder plating. "Stealthwave, come over here. Rocker wants to talk with you."

Stealthwave turned to look at his brother, his optics shimmering with happiness. He nodded his helm and then released his grip from my arm. He followed Metallica to where Rocker was standing at another part of the base.

I let out a heavy sigh, examining the damage Stealthwave had dealt to my arm. Surprisingly, only the exterior of my body was damaged, Stealthwave's claw marks scoring about a six-inch length scrape a little near my elbow-joint.

Ratchet approached my side and lifted my arm, examining my wound closely. "It does not look too bad," he said. "I can fix this up easily."

I nodded my helm gratefully. "Thanks." I turned my attention to the approaching bot.

"Welcome back," he spoke, his silver and blue exterior shimmering from the lights that were hanging above our helms.

"Glad to be back, Smokescreen," I answered back, my voice plain like a slice of white bread.

Optimus, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee had found Smokescreen in the forest. He had crash-landed on Earth, coming from Cybertron in an escape pod. After helping out the others take-down a group of Vehicons, Smokescreen was brought to base, where he was questioned about his history. As I sat watching the conference take place, I could not help but gaze wonderingly at him. He looked awfully familiar to me, as if I had seen him before. And there was another thing that bothered me.

Every time Smokescreen stole a glance at me, his optics would be full of lust and want. I did not understand why, but thinking about it made my optics widen with fright.

Smokescreen nodded his helm. "And by the way, I think Stealthwave is a little too clingy for his age."

At his remark, my optics quickly widened with anger. Fury quickly began to broil inside me, and I stomped up closer to him. "I do not need your opinion!" I spat. "So stay out of it!" Even though I had not said all my greetings to everybot, I stomped away into my corridor, shutting myself inside. I laid myself across my berth, anger still boiling within me. Smokescreen's remark just crossed the line. I held myself back from getting up and starting a brawl with him. I decided instead that I would take a little stasis nap, hoping that I would forget about my instant rage against the warrior.

I slowly opened my optics and regained consciousness as a soft tapping sound echoed throughout the corridor. Slowly and carefully, I sat up, rubbing my optics. I groggily looked towards the door and called, "Come in…"

To my complete horror, Smokescreen entered, the door shutting behind him. He approached me cautiously, his steps slow, as if he were afraid to come close to me. He had better be afraid. He had angered a mother, which is the worst thing ever.

"Hey…" he greeted quietly, stopping just feet away from me.

I looked over him carefully. "What did you want?" I growled, turning my helm away from him. I listened as he let out a shaky sigh.

"Look… I'm sorry about what I said… I should have kept that opinion to myself."

"Damn right you should have," I spat, still not looking at him. I heard him shift on his stabilizing servos before clearing his throat tubes.

"I hope you can forgive me, Marisa… I really didn't mean it anyway…" As I listened to his tone of voice, I could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for him. I slowly moved my gaze back to where I was looking at him. Unwillingly, my faceplates grew hot, and I could feel my port heating up. I gulped and shook my helm frantically. There was no way that I had the hots for this bot. I knew for a fact that this was not normal. I placed a servo on my face and took a breath in.

Smokescreen looked at me, worry quickly filling his optics. "Hey… You alright?" He knelt down to look in my optics. "You don't look so good."

"I am fine!" I spat, my optics narrowing. Quickly, I re-collected myself and sighed. "Look… There is no need to worry about me, Smokescreen." I calmly stared into his optics, forcing a smile upon my face. "I forgive you."

"Good." Smokescreen smiled back at me. He then cleared his throat tubes and stared into my optics. "Um… Marisa?"

I tilted my helm curiously, staring back at him. "Yes?" As I stared into his blue-tinged optics, I gulped. They were glinting with signs of want. Just staring into his optics I knew that he wanted to mate with me that very moment. It was like he had planned it. We were alone, so it was the perfect opportunity to stick his shaft where it did not belong, which in this case would be my port. I forced myself to look away from him before I could be hypnotized by his desire.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and shook his helm. "It's nothing…" He stood straight and then turned, beginning to walk out of the room. He stopped right before he reached the door, turning back to look at me. "You know… I've always fancied you… Ever since I saw you that night at the bar…" And before I could even clearly think about what he had just mentioned, he left, the door closing behind him. I stayed sitting there, dumbfounded. What had he meant? I then shut my optics, trying to remember if I had truly seen Smokescreen anywhere. As old memories spilled back into my processor, my optics flashed open, a sense of terror bleeding throughout the course of my circuitry.

_Cybertron was at its finest. War spilling throughout every vessel, every corner, every crevice. On this particular day, the skies were dull and covered with several clouds. But these clouds were not just any regular average every day clouds, these were the clouds from weaponry. Weapons used to destroy each other. Guns… Plasma cannons… Ion blasters… You name it. Any weapon used in this war was bound to end up in the sky sometime._

_I was wandering the streets, trying to find a place to take refuge. I was in desperate need of Cybertronian currency, but sadly, everywhere I searched I found nothing. Either everybot was dead, or the place was completely abandoned, possibly destroyed. It seemed no building here on this war-ridden planet was standing strong. _

_To my amazement, there was a lone building, with bright neon lights glowing on the outside. The lights were connected to a sign, which read, '_Screwhead's Bar'_. At the name, I scowled, but I could not help but wonder if there possibly was a chance I could earn some currency. I stood in place and thought for a moment. But what was there to think about? I could only think about what it would be like to earn currency again, and to finally be able to leave Cybertron._

_I entered the bar, cautiously looking from side to side. Around me were several mechs that had rusty exteriors, some were even missing limbs. One of the mechs, who sported a long, energon-spiked tail, met gaze with me and winked, making an awfully familiar clicking noise, the clicking noise mechs normally make when they lay optics on a visually stunning femme. I did not meet gaze with him. Instead, I approached the counter of the bar, finding myself a stool and planting my aft on its rather ragged appearance. As I sat, the stool creaked, noting how old the piece of décor was. I laid my attention to the bartender, whom had noticed my presence. He approached me with kind optics. For some odd reason, he looked younger than anticipated. From far away, it seemed as if he were very, very old. _

_ "__Well hello, young femme," he greeted kindly, winking at me. "What brings ya here?"_

_I could not help but nervously fiddle with my digits. I gulped and looked at the ground below me. "U-um… Is there any way I can earn some currency here? I-I am in desperate need…"_

_ "__Desperate need, eh?" The mech looked over my body carefully, taking in every inch of my exterior. I bit down on my lower lip nervously as he grabbed a hold of my chin, moving his face in close. My faceplates heated as his servos barely traced against my chest plating. Finally, he removed his servos from me and let out a chuckle. "You're a fine lookin' femme… I'm pretty sure the mechs will pay good currency for ya." He turned his body from me and began cleaning out an empty glass. _

_I did not understand what the mech exactly meant. I held my servo out to him, trying to touch his shoulder plating to grab his attention, but I could not reach. So I just cleared my throat tubes. "U-um… What exactly do you mean, sir?" _

_At the mention of 'sir', the bartender stopped his cleaning. I widened my optics as I heard his engine start up, clearly becoming aroused. Was it my voice? Or just the word in general?_

_ "__Sir, eh?" He chuckled to himself and turned back around, filling up the clean glass with an ice blue liquid. He turned back to me and set the glass on the counter. I stared at it questioningly, but had no time to ask what it was. The bartender quickly jumped over the counter, landing on the stool beside mine. The stool gave an ominous creak, just as mine had. "Now let me explain what your job here is." He leaned forward, his claws tracing along the outside of my interface plating. "To earn the currency ya desire, ya must satisfy a mech of your choosing. Either that or the mech will choose ya… But that usually doesn't end well… Anyway, give him a good time. Seduce him, interface with him. Just make his shaft throb like nobot's business." _

_I gulped nervously, conscious of the claws that were intruding my business. I shyly looked away, locking my gaze onto a silver and blue mech that was seated with a few other rusty mechs. His appearance could fool anybot. He was not just an ordinary bot that visited the bar regularly, I could tell. He was one of those bots that come here maybe, what, once or twice a year? Maybe even less. _

_ "__My dear, are ya going to do this or not?" the bartender asked, growing a little annoyed. I looked back at him and hesitantly nodded my helm. He chuckled. "Good femme." He removed his claws from my interface plating and grabbed a hold of the glass that was inches away, moving it in front of me. "Here, drink this."_

_I eyed the drink with worry, not knowing what it was or what it would do to me, whether it be good or bad. I warily glanced at the mech, not knowing if I should. But he simply nodded his helm, smiling at me tenderly. I gave him a nervous smile back, taking the drink from his grasp. I stared at the drink a moment more before swigging it down, the ice blue liquid sliding down my throat tubes with little effort. _

_In seconds, my optics became slightly foggy, the surrounding area becoming nothing but clouds. I tried staring ahead at the mech in front of me, but he appeared to be blurry as well. I could scarcely make out the orange-tinged optics that stared at me with humor. Shaking my helm, I tried standing up, but I began falling to the side. I was caught by the bartender, who held me gently in his embrace. _

_ "__Careful there, young femme," he said. He chuckled. "It's always like this whenever somebot tries this drink for the first time. Don't worry, the cloudy vision will go away momentarily." _

_I glared at the mech, my optics soon returning to normal so that I could see properly. A low chuckle soon boomed from my throat tubes. For some odd reason, my processor began feeling fuzzy, and the objects around me seemed to be two times more interesting. _

_The mech raised one of his brow plates, a smile stretching widely across his faceplates. "Ya alright, femme?" _

_ "__Oh I am more than alright," I answered, a smirk playing on the edges of my mouth. I ran a single claw across the mech's chest plating in a vertical line, wandering down towards his pelvic plating. Instantly, a gasp escaped his throat tubes. _

_ "__F-femme, what are ya doing?!" _

_With little effort, I managed to wedge my claw underneath his plating, feeling around for what I desired. As my claw hit the warming cable, the bartender groaned. _

_ "__Femme… Save it for the other mechs…" And before I could make a smart-aft comeback, he gently pushed me away, holding a servo over his now pulsating interface plate. "Now… Just go up on the stage… Choose a mech… Do whatever, darling…" His voice was restrained, forcing himself to keep control._

_I glanced at him and then nodded my helm awkwardly. Turning my body, I wobbly began walking to the stage that was located right in the center of the bar. Even though I had not even climbed up the steps to the stage, mechs began clicking and whistling at me. Being intoxicated, I could not help but bump into the nearest mech, rubbing my aft across his pelvic plating as I passed him. He roughly took ahold of my hip joints, grinding against my aft, metal scraping against metal. I pulled out of his grasp and continued my walk to the stage, acting as if nothing had happened. The steps to the stage appeared uneven, but in reality, they were perfectly straight. They almost looked fancy compared to the rust-covered bar they were located in. _

_I began stepping up the steps, making my way to the base of the stage. As I stared around the bar, the mechs began getting pumped-up. They all approached the stage, getting as close to me as they could. I could not help but smirk. _

_ "__Are you all ready for me?" I asked, my voice sounding seductive and inviting. The mechs whistled, a few of them already removing their pelvic plating, trying to impress me with the size of their throbbing shafts. Surprisingly, the bartender had removed his plating, but he was further away from the group, leaning back against the counter. He was a definite possibility, that was for sure. My gaze soon traveled to the silver and blue bot, whom was staring at me with interested optics. I began striding across the stage, my stabilizing servos clicking against the surface. The ravenous mechs attempted to grab my legs, trying to pull me down to them. Now I understood what the bartender had meant when he said it does not always end well when the mech chooses the femme. I traveled further along the stage until I came to the end, where the dazzling mech stood. I sat down on the edge of the stage, leaning in close to him. "Well you look pretty fine…" I murmured, getting as close as I could to his audio receptor. _

_He chuckled, grabbing ahold of my servo and helping me down from the stage. "So does this mean you choose me?"_

_ "__What do you think?" I breathed out, pressing my body against his anxiously. I listened as the mechs behind me began complaining. They were disappointed that I had not chosen them. _

_ "__Alright, no need to get feisty," the mech chuckled, leading me towards the back of the bar. The entire time, my processor buzzed with confusion, my true self trying to beat down the intoxication that was infecting my body. _

_We had approached a steel door that was not automatic. The mech pulled down on the handle that was on it and opened the door, glancing inside. "It's roomy in here…" He looked back towards me. "What do you think?" _

_I strode past him and looked inside the corridor. It was true, the corridor was rather large. Despite its size, the only piece of furnishing inside was a steel berth, covered with a rather unusual blanket. Normally, one would not find a blanket on Cybertron. Maybe this was one of those places that kept one all to themselves, like a rare and precious item. _

_I approached the berth and set my servo down upon the blanket, feeling the fibers tickling my claws. My optics rolled back, and my engine began purring faintly. Why did a blanket suddenly turn me on? Maybe the intoxication was frying my circuitry… _

_ "__Is it alright?" the mech asked, approaching me from behind. He held onto my hip-joints and leaned down, gently nipping my neck cables. _

_I moaned quietly and turned to face him. "This is perfect…" I said before my lips collided with his. _

_The mech groaned sharply, his servos going behind me and gripping my aft. He lifted me off the ground, clumsily walking to the berth, where he laid me flat on my back. Instantly, our engines began purring as one, our desires escalating with each second that went by. As we continued kissing, the mech slid his glossa into my mouth, probing the back of my throat tubes. Pleasure instantly sky-rocketed, and my claws dug into his shoulder plating. Oral lubricant leaked out the corner of my mouth, and my back arched, appearing to bend in ways physically impossible to any Cybertronian being. _

_He pulled away from my lips and looked into my optics. "Well… Where would the femme like to be slagged?" he asked, teasingly running his digits around the edge of my interface plate. _

_Even being as intoxicated as I was, I knew that I could not have this mech, whom I did not even know, slag me where I would be conceived. So there was only one other option._

_ "__My aft…" I managed to speak, although my speech was becoming slurry. As I spoke, I slowly turned, lying flat on my stomach. The mech bore his weight down onto me, even though I knew for a fact that he had yet to remove his plating. _

_ "__Are you sure you're alright with that?" he asked, double-checking to make sure I was satisfied with my decision. _

_I managed to let out a growl. "If I was not sure, then I would not be lying underneath your sorry husk, now would I?" _

_At my remark, the mech removed his interface plate, his stiffened cable throbbing with desire. I felt the tip of his shaft glide along the entrance to my aft and press into me slightly. I shivered, lifting the lower part of my body so that my aft was easier to get to. The mech groaned with pleasure as he pressed the entire length of his shaft into my aft. _

_Instantly, I cried out, pain and pleasure searing my circuitry. My claws scraped against the surface of the berth, causing an eerie, screeching sound. From this noise, the mech pounded into me and shuddered, obviously enjoying the sound of my claws scraping the berth. Even though he was pounding into my aft, my valve leaked tremendously. I was leaking so much I could feel the lubricants seeping out of my tightly closed interface plating. _

_The mech seemed to notice this, and slid one of his digits across the surface of my plating, the tip of his digit covered in my lubricants. He licked his digit, immediately groaning. "Femme… You're so delicious… Why couldn't I have slagged you where it feels good?" _

_ "__Be happy with what you got!" I spat. "Now go harder!" _

_Not wanting to disappoint me, the mech began slamming himself into me, practically throwing me forward with each thrust he made. The intensity of it all was making my processor fry to a crisp, my thoughts spilling out like nothing. I began losing myself, not knowing who I was or what the heck I was doing. I let out a protesting yelp, trying to pull away from the mech, but he held me firmly in place, losing his rhythm as he neared his climax. There was no way that I was able to overload now, since I did not know what the hell was going on._

_In a matter of seconds, the mech hit his overload, releasing his hot lubricants into my aft. The sensation made me claw the berth more, my claws scraping and collecting shards of metal. Before the mech could even pull out of me, my helm began swaying back and forth, my vision becoming cloudy and the world around me becoming nothing but a vortex of lines and shapes. _

_ "__I-I am okay…" I said, although I had a feeling the mech had not asked me anything. "G… Good morning…" I managed to hiccup before blacking out._


	2. Part Two: Orion's POV

**Dear reader, it is best that you read Transformers Prime: Secrets before you begin reading this story. Continue with caution. **

Part Two: Orion's POV

One of the things I loved about Earth was the emotions. Especially the love a single family had for one another. They cared for each other, even if someone were to have passed on. A human's love never died. I could say the same thing for my family.

My brothers and I are all from different fathers, but our mother is the same. We love each other as if we were fully related. We always think of ourselves as brothers, and nothing will ever break that bond.

The bond that we share with our mother is also the same. We could never abandon her, even if she were to do something ridiculous. She is very valuable to us, and we care about her deeply. If anything were to ever happen to her, I, as well as my other siblings, would not be able to live with ourselves.

I watched as mother walked out of her corridor, shortly after Smokescreen had. I carefully looked at her, examining her facial expression. Her optics were wide, and she was glancing at Smokescreen nervously. I tilted my helm curiously and approached her with caution.

"Hey… Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling down slightly.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Of course I am."

I narrowed my optics. Her servos were shaking and her optics were full of terror. I could not believe that she was lying to her son. "Mother, you must tell me if something is troubling you," I spoke, making sure my voice was gentle enough for her to understand that I was worried. "Orion, really, I am alright…" she whispered, turning her helm away from me. "Please, leave me be…" She then walked around me and approached Optimus, beginning to talk with him about an outing.

I tried to stay put, but I simply had to see what my mother and father were talking about. I approached them with a great curiosity. Optimus looked at me with interest.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

I shook my helm. "No, I just wanted to know what you guys were talking about."

Marisa glared at me, her optics burning with annoyance, but she simply turned her helm away to look at the monitor of the computer. There was a flashing blue light in the upper right corner of the screen. Immediately, she let out a joyous gasp.

Optimus glanced at the monitor, smiling. "It appears that he is ready for you."

I tilted my helm curiously, glancing at my father. "Is she going to see him?"

Marisa glared at me, although I could still clearly see the happiness in her optics. "Of course I am!"

Optimus nodded. "Orion, Metallica, Smokescreen, and I will accompany you. He may have found some energon deposits."

Instantly, Metallica strode over to us. "What am I doing now?" He glanced at the monitor and let out a snort. "Oh, I see…" He rolled his optics and stared at Optimus. "Honestly, do I have to go?"

"Do you not wish to go?" Optimus asked.

Marisa growled and faced her son. "Metallica! You would do best not to disobey Optimus!" She stood on the tips of her peds, and even then she wasn't able to fully look him in the optics. "Do you understand?"

Optimus interjected. "Please, if he does not wish to go, then I am not going to force him." He glanced around the base. "Maybe Rocker would be interested in taking his place."

At the mention of his name, Rocker happily ran up to Optimus' side. "I would be happy to!"

I smiled down at him. "We can always count on you to have a smile on your face." I glanced to the side as I noticed Smokescreen approaching. Out of the corner of my optic, I barely saw Marisa begin to shudder. Seeing this, I knew that something had happened between the two. Smokescreen strode to her side and then glanced at the monitor. She did not meet gaze with him.

"We ready to head out then?" he asked, setting a servo on Marisa's shoulder plating. She flinched, but did not make any sudden movements.

Optimus nodded his helm. He looked over to Ratchet. "Ratchet, activate the groundbridge."

The medic quickly nodded and entered the coordinates into the groundbridge. He pulled down on the lever, the portal instantly lighting up. He looked back at Optimus. "Groundbridge activated."

All of the bots, including myself, strode to the entrance of the portal. Marisa ran to the front of the group, with Rocker running right behind her. I walked next to Optimus, and Smokescreen was left by himself in the back of the group. We all then walked through the portal and entered the designated area.

It was the end of a forest. The thick lining of the trees was shaped in a circular shape, and down below, there was a slight cliff. We all walked to the edge of the cliff and stared down below. Instantly, my mother let out a gasp and ran straight down. I let out a chuckle as I watched her jump into Knock Out's arms.

"Oh, Knock Out! I missed you!" she beamed, nuzzling him.

The red mech laughed. "I have missed you as well, my dear." He gently kissed the top of her helm.

Optimus, Rocker, Smokescreen, and I all followed closely after, standing just a few yards away from them. Rocker approached his father with a smile.

"Hey!" he greeted enthusiastically.

Knock Out smiled. "Hey there." He gently bumped his son's shoulder plating with his servo. "Have you been taking good care of your mother?"

Rocker nodded quickly. "Oh yes! I have been doing my best!"

"It is true…" Marisa brought up, kissing her mate's lips softly. "He has been making sure I am safe at all costs. He is a rather protective bot, just like his father."

Knock Out rolled his optics in a joking matter. "Oh please. I am sure he gets that from you."

Optimus approached the two and looked down upon them. "Did you happen to come across any energon deposits?"

Knock Out nodded his helm and pointed a claw down towards a small ditch. "Just a little bit. I did not take any, because I know that Marisa and you all need it more than anybot on that blasted warship."

I glanced back at Smokescreen. "You and I can start collecting the energon shards, alright?" As I stared at him, I realized he was staring at Marisa and Knock Out with jealous optics. His servo was balled into a fist and his denta were bared. Without meeting gaze with me, he spoke.

"Since when do 'cons become mates with Autobots?"

I simply glared at him with narrowed optics. "It is a choice, one that you cannot decide for the two of them. It is best that you mind your own business." I began walking to the small deposit of energon. "Now come on, let us move this energon to the top of the cliff." I strode right past the two embracing bots and leaned down toward the ditch. Knock Out was right; there was not a lot of energon in this deposit. There might have been enough for Stealthwave, Rocker, and Metallica, but no more. I let out a sigh and picked up as much of the crystals as I could carry. I turned back and began walking back up to the top of the cliff. Smokescreen past me by, and I turned my helm to keep track of him. As he picked up the remaining crystals of energon, he was staring at Marisa and Knock Out with the same jealous optics. I shook my helm and set my load down once I reached the edge of the cliff.

I walked back down and stood next to my father. "So, Knock Out, when are you planning on joining us?" I asked out loud.

The Decepticon looked to the side out of shame. "Well… I am not so sure right now…"

Marisa looked at him, disappointed. "What do you mean you are not so sure right now? You said you would figure things out as fast as you can!"

"And I am doing that!" he snapped suddenly. Marisa recoiled slightly, but Knock Out quickly brought her back into his embrace. "I am sorry for snapping… It is just that everything is so complicated on The Nemesis." He held my mother tightly in his arms, looking down at her with sorrow-filled optics. "Black Out was supposed to cover for me originally. He was going to inform Megatron that I had been killed by the Autobots. If not you then perhaps a rogue or something… But anyway, he has not been able to do that, because Destroyer has been giving him so many tasks that he has not had the time."

At the mention of Megatron's son, my mom, Rocker and I all cringed back. She let out a small hiss, but Knock Out quickly comforted her by petting her helm.

"I am sorry for mentioning him, but I thought you should know that. If it were not for him, I could be living at your base right now."

Smokescreen approached after setting down his load of energon. "So why can't you just leave now? I mean, they already have Black Out and all. Why do they need to think that you were killed? Would it really matter?"

Marisa swerved around and spat. "Shut up! If you were in this predicament you might have a clearer understanding! But since you are not, I would suggest that you shut your mouth!" Smokescreen immediately took a step back, but kept his optics locked upon Marisa. The femme held onto Knock Out's shoulder plating tightly. "Please stay…"

Knock Out sighed. "I really wish I could, my dear, but it is up to Black Out now." Knock Out suddenly groaned as soon as his comm link was activated.

"Knock Out! Where the slag are you? Destroyer is looking everywhere for you, and if you do not show up soon he will surly have my helm!"

"It is Black Out," Knock Out said as Marisa stared at him in confusion. Knock Out cleared his throat tubes. "I will be there shortly. Give me a minute."

There was a small chuckle on the other side of the comm link. "Please do not tell me you are with that femme again. You slaggin' her good?"

Knock Out widened his optics and growled. "I will have you know, we have not been doing anything of the sort. Even if we were to, that would be none of your business!" He looked at Marisa in a forgiving manor. "I am sorry, my dear, my brother is a bit of a glitch."

Marisa smiled faintly. "Oh it is fine." She then frowned right away. "But… You really have to go now?"

He nodded sadly. "Yeah… Otherwise Black Out will kick my aft. Destroyer is getting pretty upset." Once again, Marisa let out a small hiss, her optics narrowing with hate. Knock Out pulled her into a tight hug. "I am sorry…" He pulled her away slightly so he could look her in the optics. "I will try my hardest to visit you some time soon, alright? I do not know when, but I will contact you."

Tears began to build in my mother's optics. I could clearly see them shimmering. "K-Knock Out… Do not go…"

Optimus set a servo on her shoulder plating. "It is best that you let him go. Black Out may come to retrieve him if he does not return presently."

I knelt down next to Marisa. "Yeah, and plus, I think Stealthwave might be missing both you and Rocker."

Rocker's tail quickly began waving around frantically. "Oh no! I left him alone with Metallica! Who knows what that bot is doing to him!"

I chuckled. "He is not alone, Rocker. Greyson, Wasp, and all the other bots are there too. Who knows, he might even be playing with Ratchet or some other bot."

The flashing mech looked around, slightly flustered. "Oh… Y-yeah, I forgot… Oops…" He rubbed the back of his neck cables in embarrassment. "S-sorry, Orion…"

Marisa glanced at Knock Out. "I am hoping to hear from you soon, okay?"

The mech laughed. "Alright." He kissed her one last time before asking for a groundbridge, The portal lit up a short ways away, and he ran through.

The breeding bot sighed and then turned to Optimus. "Are we ready to head back to base now?"

The Prime nodded. He activated his comm link as we all began walking back up the cliff to where we had arrived. "Ratchet, we are ready for a bridge."

I picked up my share of energon, and then Smokescreen picked up his. We all waited for a mere ten seconds before the portal lit up in front of us. We all walked through with our helms held high.

Once back inside base, I noticed that Stealthwave was sitting right outside of the groundbridge. As he spotted Marisa walk in, he jumped into her embrace. She caught him, almost falling off of her peds.

"S-Stealthwave, you are getting a little too big to be jumping in my arms like this." She gently set him down. He was just about as tall as her, the top of his helm being symmetrical with her forehelm.

Stealthwave stared at her, his optics opened widely. He lifted his claws in the air and shrugged his shoulders slightly. That was his way of asking what had taken so long. Marisa smiled at him and gently rubbed his helm.

"Stealthwave, I was visiting Knock Out. Orion and Smokescreen also brought back some energon." She rested her helm against his. "Surly you are not upset with your mother?"

The mech shook his helm and wrapped his arms around one of her arms. He narrowed his optics and slightly stamped his ped. I approached him before he could have a meltdown.

"Hey, Stealthwave, you should come and hang out with Rocker and I." I was hoping that he would release my mom before he did damage to her exterior, but he just turned his helm and glared at me, tears clearly falling from his optics. He was upset.

This was getting out of control. His separation anxiety was nearing to the point where Marisa would never be able to leave the base. That could not happen, because Marisa would want to visit her mate, and as long as he still remained a Decepticon, that will be all the time. If she gets held back by Stealthwave, she may not want him in the base anymore. But knowing my mom, I knew that she would not want to abandon her own son.

She finally pried Stealthwave off of her arm and took a few steps back. "Go see what Rocker is up to, Stealthwave."

He hesitated a moment before reluctantly nodding his helm and walking to a different part of the base. I set my energon load down next to the monitor and then approached my mom once again.

"Is he upsetting you?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulder plating. "I do not even know anymore… I love him and all, but this clinginess is getting… Out of control…" She looked to where Stealthwave was sitting next to Rocker, whom was talking to him about their visit to see Knock Out. "He is a good bot, a _very_ good bot. I am glad that I gave him the chance to stay, because he is an amazing son." She growled and made a servo into a fist. "I just cannot stand that he has troubles when I leave! I mean, I love coming back to base to be able to see him again, but his separation anxiety… It is just spiraling out of control… It needs to stop…"

I nodded my helm. "I agree."

Marisa looked up at me. "Could you maybe help out with that?"

I could not help but look a little surprised. "With his anxiety?" I tilted my helm. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

She shrugged her shoulder plating. "I do not know…" She placed her claws on my servo. "But I am sure you can think of something." She smiled at me kindly. "You are his elder brother anyways."

I smiled back at her. "I guess I can try."

She nodded her helm in approval. "I am glad to hear that you are willing to help. That really shows how good of a Prime you will make." She then began striding over to where Optimus and Ratchet were talking.

I walked over to Rocker and Stealthwave and sat down on the ledge, sitting inches away from my silent brother. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" I asked.

Rocker's tail waved happily as he began to speak. "I was just telling Stealthwave about when we battled with Soundwave!"

I shifted on the ledge nervously. "Are you sure that is such a good idea?"

It was a few months back when Greyson, Wasp, and Metallica battled with Stealthwave's father. They were searching for an ancient relic when the Decepticon crossed their path. Greyson instantly called for them to engage into combat, and they fought for a while. In the end, Soundwave hailed almighty as he took the relic for himself and flew back to wherever The Nemesis flew. Greyson came back with a scratched up exterior. Wasp had a few dents on his chest plating, and Metallica had a small portion of his wing chipped off.

Beside me, Stealthwave shook his helm and held his claws up. I tilted my helm curiously. "Stealthwave, I do not understand what you are trying to say. Please speak up."

Rocker instantly smacked me with his tail. I recoiled slightly and glared at him. His optics were filled with annoyance. He looked at Stealthwave and smiled. "I know you enjoy hearing this story a lot. Pretty much anything with your father you seem to enjoy."

I stared at the two in disbelief. It was strange how Rocker could fully understand Stealthwave even though he never spoke a word, and I mean that literally. Stealthwave has never spoken once in his life. We never knew why.

I simply stood up and nodded at the two. "I guess I will leave you two to talk then." The two did not even make a response to me as I began walking to a different part of the base. I slowed my pace and stopped in my tracks, glancing around at the other bots seeming to be happy. Deep inside I felt unhappy, upset even. I was beginning to question myself. I am not worthy of being a part of the team. I am not worthy of being the eldest son. And I am surly not ready to become the next Prime.


	3. Part Three: Greyson's POV

Part Three: Greyson's POV

It had been approximately a week after Marisa had last seen her mate. I felt a pang of sympathy for my mother. I knew what it had to be like to be away from her mate for so long. After all, I had a mate of my own to look after.

I was laying on my berth, which was now built for two, thinking about the future and what it would bring. While I was deep inside my processor with thoughts, I didn't notice my mate walk into the corridor. She crossed her arms at me and smiled.

"Didn't get enough sleep?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

As I heard her beautiful voice, I sat up and stared at her. "Arcee."

She walked over to me and sat beside me. "What were you doing?"

I smiled and hugged her tightly. "I was thinking about the future… You know…" My servos went over her stomach.

It had finally happened. Arcee was pregnant with my sparkling. After many months of trying, she had finally conceived. The due date was approaching fast, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to become a father yet. I mean, it would be great and all, but none of my other brothers have had anything like this, so I was a little nervous.

Arcee must have read my thoughts. She wrapped her servo around mine and looked deeply into my optics. "There's nothing to worry about, Greyson. You will be a great father."

I smiled at her kindly. "Thanks… But are you sure I'm ready for such a big responsibility?"

The two-wheeler nodded and rested her helm on my chest plating. "I know for certain that you will be fantastic." I chuckled and petted her helm soothingly.

"So… Since we are on the topic of the sparkling… What will we name her?"

"Or him," she brought up. She laughed to herself and shrugged her shoulder plating. "I haven't really thought it over yet…"

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "The sparkling is due at any given day, and you haven't even thought about what you would name it? For Primus' sake, Arcee! Start thinking right now!"

The femme stared at me with humorous optics. "Oh yeah? What about you? Have you been thinking at all?"

I nodded my helm. "Just in case something like this happened." She quickly punched my shoulder and snorted. I laughed at her in amusement. I then went back to being serious. "So I was thinking maybe, if it's a mech, Flame, and if it's a femme, Flare." I looked at my mate with joy. "Do those sound like good names to you?"

She smiled. "Anything you come up with sounds good to me. Those names sound wonderful." I nodded my helm happily and then gently laid down with her still in my embrace. She looked at me with groggy optics. "Are we going to power down now?"

I chuckled slightly. "I am. You don't have to if you don't want to." She stared at me a moment before shutting her optics tightly.

"I think it's best that I do. Rest is good before having a sparkling. Your mother told me that."

Of course my mother would have told her. Marisa has had seven sparklings, so she knew what Arcee is going through. She had given her many pointers and advice. In my honest opinion, I would say that the two femmes have grown really close to each other.

I yawned and then shut my optics. "I guess that's true. Then let's power down for a bit," I spoke softly as we both began to drift into stasis. As I vanished into darkness, I began thinking about what it would be like to be a father. A smile appeared on my face as I was lost to the stasis that finally overpowered me.

By the time I awoke, Arcee was gone. I didn't know how long I had been out, but I had a feeling it had been awhile. I yawned and stretched my limbs in the air. I stood up and walked out of my corridor, hoping that Arcee was inside of the base somewhere.

When I got to the main area of the base, I realized that she was nowhere to be seen. I walked over to my father and tapped his shoulder. He looked at me, a sort of surprised look on his face.

"Greyson? You never come over here… Is something wrong?"

I rolled my optics. "I come over here as much as I can, Ratchet. And yes, something is wrong." I held my servos up quickly. "But not with me, of course! I was wondering if you knew where Arcee was?"

He quickly nodded his helm. "Marisa took her somewhere," he answered simply as he resumed his searching on the monitor. I stared at him.

"Do you know where?"

He let out an indescribable sound and turned to face me. "If I would have known, do you think I would have told you already?" His expression held a firm, serious state. I glared right back at him. Let's just say we never had an outstanding father-son relationship.

"I know you know where they are. She probably just told you not to tell me, right?"

Regret immediately washed across his face. "Well I- Why would you assume something like that?"

I arched a brow plate and glared at him. "Because you and my mom have had a history together."

Almost instantly, shame flowed into his optics. He sighed and looked at the ground. "I… I promised I would not say anything…"

I let out a sigh. I knew that he knew. I looked him straight in the optics and gulped. "Dad… If you were mates with Marisa, you would tell me anything… Why can't you do that now?"

Ratchet's optics went wide with shock. "I…" He looked around, sadness filling his light blue optics. "I suppose you are right…" He began punching in coordinates and then he activated the groundbridge. He looked at me and sighed. "If she asks anything… Tell her I failed to keep the secret…"

I patted his shoulder plating with my servo. "You did the right thing telling me, dad. Thank you." I then ran through the groundbridge portal, hoping that my mate and my mom would be on the other side.

When I arrived, I instantly realized that I was standing at the edge of a snowy ledge. I looked to the sky. There was no snow falling, and there was no breeze. I then slowly took a step forward, only to slip and then begin sliding down to the bottom of the ledge. Once my aft hit the ground, I noticed Marisa and Arcee walking quite a ways away. I quickly stood up, only to slip and fall again. I growled to myself, "Stupid snow… Let me get up!"

Instantly, Marisa turned her helm and let out a hiss. "Greyson! What are you doing here? And how did you even know we were here?"

Arcee turned her helm and noticed me sprawled across the snow like a maniac. She ran up to me and knelt down, grabbing my arm. "Are you alright?"

I nodded my helm. "Yeah. This snow just won't let me get up." I laughed to myself at how silly I sounded. Arcee laughed as well, helping me to stand on my peds. I watched as my mom approached us, her arms crossed and her optics narrowed.

"How did you find out where we were? Did Ratchet tell you?"

I looked to the side. "Well… Yeah…"

She rolled her optics. "Of course he did…" She stared at me, and I could faintly see a tinge of sadness flash in her optics. "He could not keep it secret from his son, huh?"

I nodded my helm. "I guess you could say that."

Arcee leaned up against my side. "Marisa was just talking to me about what life is like with a sparkling." She looked up at me excitedly. "It sounds like a lot of fun!"

"But it is hard work." Marisa interjected. "It takes patience to raise a sparkling. I did not learn that until I had Metallica."

I tilted my helm. "Wait… You weren't patient with me?"

She giggled. "Well… I had my ups and downs… I tried my best but you were just so picky all the time."

The three of us started laughing all together. I was glad that my mom had finally bonded with Arcee. In the beginning, back when she first arrived at the base, Arcee wasn't very fond of her. She thought she was only seeking affection from different mechs; a whore-bot. She was nothing of the sort. She was a kind bot that needed help deciding.

Marisa then stopped and clicked on her headset. "Ratchet, we are ready for a bridge back to base."

Arcee looked at her with a sort of down look. "Wait, we're leaving already?"

The breeding bot nodded her helm. "I think Greyson coming here was a sign that we should be heading back. You need to rest as much as you can before you have your sparkling."

She sighed. "I guess you're right…" My mate looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you for coming."

I nodded my helm. "You're very welcome. I was just worried about you." The portal then lit up a few meters away. Marisa was the first one to walk through. Arcee and I entangled servos before we both walked through the portal.

On the other side, Stealthwave was already hugging Marisa. Arcee and I simply walked by the two and then walked over to where Wasp, Tayo and Kayo were chilling out. Arcee slightly shifted on her peds as we stood in front of them. She wasn't really fond of Wasp. She thought he was too immature.

Wasp stood up and punched my shoulder plating. "What brings you over to the cool side of the base?"

Kayo snorted beside him. "Since when are we considered cool? You always thought we were laaaaaame." She mimicked his voice as she said those words. I couldn't help but laugh. Tayo laughed as well. Arcee just stood there, trying to act as comfortable as possible. I gently nudged her shoulder. She looked up at me, her optics showing a clear sign of uncomfortableness.

Wasp growled at Kayo before turning back to face Arcee and I. "So how is everything? The sparkling doing okay in there?" he asked Arcee. She simply nodded her helm.

"Yeah."

Wasp arched a brow plate and crossed his arms. He moved his gaze towards me. "Why does she never say more than one word when I'm around? Am I really that annoying?"

I shrugged my shoulder plating. "I guess she thinks you're too childish."

Arcee punched my shoulder. "Don't go making assumptions like that, Greyson!" she spat. She then pulled out of my grip and stamped off in the direction of our corridor.

Wasp covered his mouth. "I should just stop talking whenever she's around then. She doesn't seem to like me at all."

I smiled at him sympathetically. "There's no need to do that." I rested my servo on his shoulder plating. "I'm sure she'll warm up to you sooner or later. You don't have to change who you are just to impress one bot."

A wide smile appeared on Wasp's face. "Thanks." He stuck his chest out proudly. "I wasn't planning on changing anyway. I mean, Miko would probably be pissed if I did."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was true, though. Miko and Wasp hung out constantly. They were pretty much a perfect match for each other. If Miko were to be a Cybertronian, they would have been perfect spark-mates. But since she's a human, they can only be close friends. I didn't think that Greyson would want to be mates with her anyway. She was more of a friend than a lover.

To my surprise, Bulkhead drove into the base, all three of the children popping out of his interior. Miko ran up to Wasp and clung onto his foot.

"Wasp! Let's get our rock on!" She was holding her guitar and she strummed a chord. Wasp instantly held his invisible guitar and strummed as well, banging his helm back and forth.

"Time to take out the trash!" he shouted happily, laughing along with Miko.

Raf ran over to Bumblebee, who was clear on the other side of the base socializing with Smokescreen. Jack approached me, looking around the base. "Greyson, have you seen Arcee?"

I nodded my helm. "She shut herself in our corridor. I don't know if she wants to be bothered right now."

"What happened?" he asked, concern filling his eyes.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my helm. "Well… I think I might have said something to aggravate her…" I looked to where she had vanished in the hallway. I slightly felt a pang of guilt, but then a majority of me was a little pissed off. She shouldn't have to be uncomfortable around my siblings. I would protect her no matter what.

Jack laughed slightly. "Girls… What can you do?"

I smiled down at him. "Sometimes absolutely nothing." Jack nodded his head at me before he walked over to Miko. I then looked around the base to take in my surroundings. Marisa was still with Stealthwave. She was rubbing his helm and letting him know that she had simply went out with Arcee. A few meters away from them was Rocker and Metallica. They were chatting away about who was the better warrior out of the both of them. Bumblebee, Smokescreen, and Bulkhead were talking with Raf. I couldn't really hear what they were saying, but I had a feeling it had something to do with computers. Optimus, Orion, and Ratchet were all talking by the computer monitor, planning a scouting mission for energon. Tayo and Kayo were both lazing in the corner of the base, their optics offline and their bodies frozen. The only bot missing was Arcee.

Thinking quickly, I made my way past all of the chattering bots and went into the hallway where all the corridors stood. I stopped in front of the third door on the right. I tapped on the steel door with a single digit. "Arcee? You in there?" There was a hiss from the other side.

"G-Greyson!" Her voice was panicked. My optics widened instantly. Something wasn't right.

"Arcee! What's wrong?" I set my digits on the keypad that was next to the door. "I'm coming in!" I quickly punched in our code and then ran inside as soon as the door opened. I looked down in horror as I stared at what was before me. Arcee was sprawled across the ground, curling herself into a ball slightly. Her servos were over her stomach, and she was moaning in pain. I nervously took a step back. "I-is it really happening?"

"Of course it is you dumb-aft!" she spat. I recoiled slightly. Marisa had warned me about this, thankfully. When a femme is in this much pain, she usually gets really upset quite easily.

I began stepping out. "I'll go get Ratchet right now!" I then ran back through the hall and into the main part of the base. "RATCHET!" I shouted as loud as my voice box would allow me. All the bots in the base shifted their gaze towards me. Ratchet stared at me, clearly rattled by the intensity of my voice.

"What?! What is it?!" he asked.

I stopped in front of him, quickly grabbing his shoulder plating. "It's Arcee! She's ready to have the sparkling!"

Instantly, the medic's optics went wide. "Grab my medical kit from my corridor! I will go and assess her right away!" Before I could make a response, he dashed off into the hall from which I came. I followed right after him, making a turn into the open corridor that was his. I looked around, trying to spot the medical kit, but it seemed to be hidden.

I growled to myself. "Not now, not now!" I furiously rummaged around a bunch of metallic boxes that were together and hissed as soon as I finally found the medical kit. I grabbed it and sprinted into the nearby corridor.

Ratchet had placed Arcee on the berth, and he was standing over her. He looked at me as he entered. "Give me the kit."

I growled. "You could have at least had it out somewhere where I could find it easily!"

He ignored my statement and opened the kit up, removing a small stasis needle. He placed the tip right in the center of her chest plating. I gulped nervously as he slowly pushed the tip of the needle in and released the stasis liquid into her body. It only took about ten seconds to take effect. She relaxed and her optics went offline. I stared at Ratchet.

"What are you going to do now?" I asked.

He glanced at me and chuckled. "You might want to cover your optics. Knowing you, I would say that you would probably fry a circuit."

My optics went wide. "Wait… What?"

Ratchet sighed and looked at me. "I am going to open Arcee up so I can get the sparkling!"

My vision began to blur and my peds felt heavy. "O-oh…" I then wobbled over to the corner of the corridor. "M-maybe I should leave the corridor then, huh?" I could faintly see the red and white helm nod. I nodded back awkwardly and then shakily exited the corridor. I stumbled and fell right outside, my back hitting the wall. I let out a groan and rubbed my optics. "Come on, Greyson! Get a grip!" I shook my helm and sighed. "Damn, stupid nerves…" I grumbled to myself. I then lifted my helm as I heard ped-steps approaching me. It was Marisa.

"Everything alright?" she asked, planting her aft next to me.

I let out a sigh. "Ratchet just put her into stasis. My nerves got the best of me so I left the corridor."

She set her servo on my shoulder plating. "To be honest, you are not missing much." She laughed slightly. "The only thing you are missing is the miracle of birth."

"Well when you say it like that it makes me sound like an aft for leaving."

Her shoulder plating shrugged. "It does not necessarily make you an aft. You cannot always control your nerves." She smiled at me, sympathy filling her eyes. "Do not let your nerves ruin the rest of your life. You will not be nervous when you begin raising your sparkling."

I nodded my helm. "You might be right… But I'm really nervous about becoming a father…"

She giggled, resting one of her tiny servos on top of mine. "You will get used to it. Believe me."

I smiled back at her. "Thanks." I then turned my helm towards the door to the corridor as soon as Ratchet leaned out. His optics were full of shock. I quickly stood up. "What? What's wrong?"

"I- uh- you might want to come in here," he spoke, his voice sounding as if he had just seen a ghost. I didn't hesitate to run into the corridor. I stopped in my tracks as soon as I spotted what was in front of me. Lying on the berth beside Arcee, who was still offline, were two sparklings. TWO! I took a step back.

"T-two?!" I bellowed.

Marisa walked in, with Ratchet following right behind her. She knelt down and examined the two protoforms. "Oh my Spark! They are so cute!" She turned to look at Ratchet. "What are the sexes?"

Ratchet strode up to my side and smiled. "A mech and femme. Brother and sister."

I held my servo to my helm. "H-how could this have happened? I-I'm really not ready for two!" I stared down at the sparklings that I had partly created. "How can I take care of two…" I knelt down to stare at my children. They both had orange optics, which was strange since both Arcee and I had blue optics.

Marisa stared at me with stern optics. "You will be fine." She then smiled widely. "I never had twins, so this should be a good experience for you."

I stared down at the two and watched them with observant optics. The mech held his servos out toward me, while the femme just laid there. I gently picked the mech up, holding him in my arms. His optics met mine, and I instantly fell in love with him. My stress and nerves blew away and were replaced with care. "I… I can't believe I created you…" The mech stared at me and let out a small noise. I chuckled.

Arcee then began stirring beside me. "Mm… Greyson?" She looked around and spotted me, and our two sparklings. "What?" She rubbed her optics, possibly thinking she was imagining things. She then let out a gasp as she realized that her vision was not busted. She picked up the femme and held her gently in her embrace. "We had… twins?"

I nodded my helm. "A mech and a femme." I laughed. "Arcee, we can use both of the names I picked out!"

Marisa grabbed onto my arm, looking down at the mech. "What names did you pick?"

Arcee smiled. "The mech is going to be Flame, and the femme will be Flare."

Ratchet began walking out of the corridor. "Those sound like nice names… I am sure they will be great warriors one day… Just like their father." He then vanished out into the hallway. I couldn't help but smile as soon as he left. I was now excited to be a father, especially of twins. I would teach them everything there was to learn. I would make sure that I would be the best I could be, for their sake. I would become the perfect father.


End file.
